A Simple Kind of DEAD  Year Zero
by MarshalZhukov
Summary: Continuing the story of two high school students and their new protectors. M for language, some gore and sexual suggestions.
1. Prologue

Prologue

Greetings fanfic readers. The Marshal proudly presents the continuation to A Simple Kind of DEAD. The collective worked very hard of this and my comrade editors deserve so much more than the poor state housing they are forced to reside in.

As a primary note, be aware that understanding a number of the events in this arc are based upon events that happen in the previous HotD story On Her Majesty's DEADly Service and it's follow-up/sequel Comrades in DEADs. While not absolutely essential, it is most helpful in understanding why some of the minor characters say and do as they do. Also, be aware that this story arc takes place alongside, but somewhat tangentially, to events that will happen in a collaboration project the Marshal is engaged in with Dante-SonofSparda-EX21 (of HotD Semper Fidelis fame) under the pen name of Marshal Sparda. While both stories can stand alone, fuller enjoyment can be had if both are read.

If you have not taken the time to read them, please do so. Your time and patience with the collective's early works is greatly appreciated and you can see the Glory of State Planning as it evolves into the masterpiece you have before you.

As a final parting, I wish to thank most profusely Draco38 and jm1681 for beating me up when I failed to deliver quality product into their mailboxes on a constant basis.

Thank you to all the readers who have taken the time to read and review all the stories I have written. Your comments help me grow as an author and I really do take them into consideration as I write.

Marshal Zhukov


	2. Revelations 6:8

"I looked and beheld a Pale Horse, and the Rider who sat upon him was Death, and Hell followed with Him." Rev 6:8

The girls were quiet throughout the entire flight to Haneda. No one spoke, no witty jokes or ripostes shared. The world had come to an end and most everyone felt like going with it into the long last goodnight. Shortly before departing, Lieutenant Colonel Franco had run onto the tarmac and flagged the chopper down. He passed a full ACU deployment pack into the cabin for Alex, and gave his final regards and good lucks.

Alex had opened the box from Franco prior to boarding. The First Infantry Division patch, the Bronze Star medal and Major's gold oak leaves were all new, likely acquired from the base PX before her departure. The only things of any real value to Alex were a set of dog-tags; tags that had once belonged to a living, breathing person. The dings, dents and mild tarnish spoke of their owner's trials in life, and now Alex wore them around her neck with pride and sadness._  
><em>

Franco told Alex that he sent them to her mother, only to have Seiko return them without explanation. Franco had kept them out of reverence, but he conceded that they rightfully belonged to Major Schweiger's family. The letter Franco included told Alex the story of how James died saving Franco's life, that he was awarded the Bronze Star posthumously on Franco's recommendation.

Misa frowned as she sat silently and cursed her former aloofness. It was not that she felt better or more superior towards those she knew before. She just did not want to get close to anyone; did not want anyone to find out about her step-father and the things he made her do…  
>Naturally he made it her fault. She simply did not have the power or authority to say 'no' when he came into her room at night…<br>Mother knew, of course, but pretended that Misa had seduced the man. A ten year old child seduced a man four times her age…  
>Well, If karma was worth what the priests all said it was, then the the son-of-a-bitch was now among the dead; and Misa could not have wished a more fitting fate for a man like that.<p>

Asuka smiled faintly and stared out toward the south, the fading light illuminating the side of her face. She alone among the three had something worth carrying on for. A British soldier had asked for her hand in marriage and she had no intention of disappointing the man. Asuka had fallen in love with Shaun the day he walked into her office. Unlike so many foreign tourists, Shaun was genuinely interested in what was around him. He was kind, intelligent, soft-spoken and gentle. He did not make her feel small or insignificant in any way. Shaun made her the center of his world. He protected her and cared for her when They came and kept her safe in the fortress he created from an old house._  
><em>

The voice buzzed over the cabin intercom, over the muffled thump of the rotors and broke their reveries.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. We are now on the final approach to Haneda International Airport. Please make sure you have all your personal belongings with you when you depart the aircraft. On behalf of the rest of the crew, I hope you enjoyed your flight with US Army Airlines, and we look forward to serving you in the future."

Alex let a short laugh escape her lips.

"There, ya see, Misa-san?" she said. "I'm not the only one with a weird sense of humor."

Misa and Asuka both shared in Alex's joke.

The tension broken, all three chattered amongst themselves, happily ignoring the rest of the passengers. Alex wanted to get out and stretch and practice her boken and jo forms. The last few days were too hectic to allow anything more than a few minutes here and there. Asuka and Misa longed for nothing more than a hot bath and a warm supper. All of which was on promissory offer at Haneda International, courtesy of the Royal Navy.

Alex and Misa were looking forward to hearing any news of the Embassy staff that had rescued them that first morning after everything ended. Hearing that the Royal Navy was on station at anchor off Haneda island meant that news might be forthcoming. Asuka hoped to be able to get a message to Okinawa and a certain someone waiting for her.

Disembarking, the passengers were met with another flurry of activity. The uniforms of at least five different forces passed by in a dizzying parade of noise. They were greeted on the tarmac by two men; one dressed in the uniform of the Japanese Self Defense Forces, the other a Royal Navy sailor.

Once again, the group were taken to be processed. Names and personal information; all very friendly, all very thorough. Upon hearing that Alex and Misa were currently students with Fujimi Academy, the SDF man perked up.

"Ah, one of your teachers and some of your classmates were dropped off not two hours ago by the British Navy," he said. "I will take you to them in a few minutes."

"You don't suppose that Komuro-kun and Miyamoto-san got out, do you?" Misa asked.

"Possible," Alex replied. "For a delinquent, the kid's got brains in his head."

The three women were escorted to a small hangar by a man dressed in the uniform of a Royal Marine. He was part of the ship's compliment aboard the Ark Royal, he informed them. Yes, Blake and most of his contingent were around somewhere, though eight did not make it.

Deposited in the hangar, Alex and Misa felt their hearts drop into their stomachs to see Shido Koichi holding court with five students.

"Weren't there six when he left the school in the bus?" Misa pointed out.

"Maybe the sixth crossed up Shido somehow," Alex surmised. "Remember what he did to the kid who sprained his ankle?"

"What did he do?" Asuka asked, not having been privy to the events of that day.

Misa shivered in her shoes. Alex narrowed her eyes at the would-be prophet.

Before either student could answer, Shido looked up and immediately recognized Alex and Misa.

"Ah, fellow Fujimi Academy students," he called them out. His cult glanced over in their direction.

"Piss off, _sensei_," Alex seethed. She chewed the title of sensei and spat it on the ground. Misa noticed Alex's grip tightening on her boken.

"You would disrespect a teacher?" Shido cautioned. "I am responsible for your education. That entitles me to your respect."

"You're entitled to me letting you live," Alex spat. "After what you did to Aida-san, that's all you'll get from me."

Shido held his chin between thumb and forefinger a moment and glanced off thoughtfully.

"Aida?"

"You kicked him in the face after he fell and injured his ankle, you sick fuck," Alex growled. Misa looked on with worry. "You left him to die to save your own worthless hide."

By now, the commotion had attracted the unwanted attention of the other survivors in the hall. One of the Marines guarding the hangar walked over to check on the ruckus.

"What's going on here," the man asked.

Instantly recognizing the voice, Alex and Misa turned to face Sergeant Major Blake.

"Staff Sergeant Blake, this man is a menace," Alex accused Shido in English. "Misa and I personally watched this so-called teacher sacrifice a student to save his sorry ass!"

Taken aback by the allegation, Blake found himself rooted to the spot for a moment. One of the other Marines, White by his name tape, stepped forward.

"Actually, this is Sergeant Major Blake, now," White corrected.

"Sergeant Major, Major Tom, whatever!" Alex retorted. "I protest this man's presence, and want him thrown off!"

Shido, apparently cottoning on to Alex's supreme dislike of him, approached the Marines and spoke.

"The child is delirious," he sniveled in his accented English. "Obviously, the events of the last few days have seriously affected her. I think she needs some rest and a bit of 'help'."

Alex raged at the insinuation she had gone mad. Misa tried to calm her down, but ultimately it took Blake, White and one other Marine to restrain Alex and take her out of the hangar.

Asuka and Misa took turns trying to calm the beast Alex became. Wisely, her weaponry was safely in the hands of Sergeant Nicolas White. Some few minutes passed when Alex, Misa and Asuka overheard Blake talking to some of his men about Shido and his group.

Blake stopped by later with a cup of tea and offered it to Alex. By now, the girl had calmed to the point of coherency and reiterated her initial accusation.

"I will keep an eye on him," Blake assured the three women. "I have a watch set out tonight. This is not the first of Mr. Shido's shortcomings brought to my attention."

Relieved that someone finally believed her, Alex calmed to her normal self. She smiled at Blake, apologized for her outburst and belatedly congratulated him on his promotion. The three women then returned to the hangar. Offering a rude gesture to Shido, Alex, Misa and Asuka settled into their corner of the space and wondered aloud about the next day, as once again, the survivors were to load into transport bound for another location.


	3. Cohabitating

**A/N: sorry about taking so long, my comrade editors had some serious questions and I was obliged to answer them. I have begun a new naming scheme for my chapters, based loosely off the Kuroshitsuji / Black Butler series.**

**As always, enjoy and feedback is most welcome**

The Maidens, Cohabitating

At the invitation of Captain McElroy, those survivors at Haneda International who wished to relocate somewhere more permanent would sail on the morning tide aboard the Ark Royal. A scattered few accepted the offer, Alex, Misa and Asuka among them. To their dismay, Shido and his cult boarded as well. Wisely, the two groups were quartered on separate decks and kept away from each other as much as practical.

The steam to Okinawa Prefecture from Haneda took less time than Capt McElroy had allowed for. By early afternoon, the Ark Royal dropped anchor in the bay northwest of the village of Yoneshroikei on the south tip of Ikeijima. A shore party was organized under the overall command of Marine Capt de Souza to sweep the islet clear of Them. The bridge connecting the islet to its larger southern neighbor was promptly secured and sealed off as the Marines and sailors worked their way northeast toward the ryokan at the northernmost tip.

Yonashiroikei was secured without incident or encounter from Them. What the Royal Navy found instead was a town hastily evacuated and in a state of disarray, but empty and quiet. A series of crude, yet effective barricades were constructed around the western edge of the town nearest the harbor to give the civilian evacuees aboard the Ark a place to stay on shore and thus out of the Navy's way.

Disembarking from the Ark Royal, the collected survivors were escorted into the recently cleared village. By this point, no one bothered to unpack their belongings and thus the landing went quickly and smoothly.

Once again, Asuka had brilliantly succeeded in securing quarters for herself, Alex and Misa; a nice raised bungalow with three rooms, kitchen to the rear and a full bath. While nowhere near as large as the house she and Shaun shared the first night, it was more than adequate for the three housemates.

That evening, Captain McElroy had sent around a proclamation informing the survivors that Ikeijima had been secured and swept clear of Them. Anyone wishing to remain would be more than welcome to do so. He further stated that the Ark Royal would remain at anchor in the small harbor to the northwest of the village to aid in resettlement.

With stars in her eyes, Asuka began to fantasize about her new home. Shaun would come through the low gate, up the path past the garden she lovingly tended and sweep her into his arms. They would share a passionate kiss before moving on to a long overdue romantic evening.

Alex and Misa watched as Asuka began to hug herself and giggle like a school girl.

"Oh, she has it bad," Misa observed.

"Yep," Alex agreed. "It would be a shame to interrupt, but we ought to get in and settled."

With trepidation, the two girls carefully approached the madly in love Asuka. Without warning, Asuka grabbed Alex and prepared to plant a big wet kiss.

"Ahem," Alex interjected loudly.

"Uwah!" Asuka shrieked. Her lovely fantasy shattered, she gazed upon the two scandalized teenagers.

"Oh my goodness," she apologized. "How long…"

"Not long," Misa lied. "We should get in before dark."

Despite the continued assurances from the Navy and Marines, Misa went through the entire house and bolted and secured every means of entry into the house.

"It's not just against Them," Misa reasoned. "There are some rather sketchy looking men on this island too."

Not willing to argue the point, Asuka and Alex let it go. The days of constant fear had come to a seemingly abrupt end, but the tensions spawned would not fade quickly.

All three made a thorough sweep of the house to catalogue what they had. Tallying the kitchen stocks, Asuka estimated about three days worth. To everyone's delight, the electricity and water still worked perfectly. The three housemates located all the bedding, tools and other household items that may come in handy, including a fishing pole. The bedding lain out for the night, they told stories and sang themselves to sleep on the floor in the main room.

* * *

><p>Alex awoke to a pleasant aroma and something soft and warm pressed to her body. Her eyes slowly focused on something soft and violet. Waking fully with a start, Alex found herself gently spooning a fetal positioned Misa; her arm wrapped around Misa's petite frame, their fingers entwined.<p>

Fearing a repeat of the bath incident from a few days prior, Alex lay stock still and prayed that Misa would roll off on her own. A soft noise to one side revealed Asuka trying, unsuccessfully, to sneak out of the room. With a wink and a sly smile, Asuka slipped into the adjoining hall.

Panic and fear clouded Alex's mind. Sure, she liked Misa – as a friend – but this…this was too much for her teenage mind to process. What would she say to Misa when she woke up? Gee I'm so sorry?

Gently as she could, Alex tried to extricate herself from Misa's sleeping form. Misa stirred and rolled over to face Alex. Grinning drunkenly, she laid a hand on Alex's face and proceeded to claim her lips. Alex simply shut down.

Presently, Misa gained full wakefulness. Wide-eyed with embarrassment and shame, Misa quickly crab walked backwards a few paces to put distance between them.

"I am so sorry," Misa pleaded. She assumed a kneeling bow and pressed her forehead to the floor. "I should not have done that! Please forgive me!"

Asuka poked her head in the room to discover the source of the ruckus. Alex sat dumbfounded, her hand to her mouth while Misa continued to beg forgiveness.

A few minutes of awkward silence passed as the girls dressed in silence. Each turned her back to the other, though Misa glanced furtively over her shoulder before quickly returning her attention to her clothing. Alex, for her part, did not even want to consider the ramifications of what just happened. She finished dressing and met Asuka in the hall.

"Anything you want to talk about?"

Alex heaved a sigh and slumped against the wall.

"You know what happened in there?" Alex asked finally.

"I have an idea," Asuka replied. She sported a loving smile. "Not what you expected was it?"

"You could say that," Alex sighed. "I like Misa-san; she _is_ my friend, but…"

Asuka let Alex's thought fade into silence before changing tack slightly.

"You should sit down with her and find out how she feels," Asuka suggested. "She obviously harbors some deep affection for you, and you ought not to isolate her."

Alex frowned slightly before conceding Asuka's point.

"What do I say to her?" she asked. "She kissed me like she loved me. How am I supposed to deal with that?"

Asuka gently squeezed Alex's shoulder.

"Start by telling her you don't despise her," Asuka suggested. "Misa-chan is in serious doubt right now and she needs to know that you still want her around."

"What if she tries to kiss me again?"

"I don't think she'll do anything to make you more uncomfortable," Asuka replied. "She is probably too scared to do anything but listen."

Alex cocked an eyebrow at Asuka.

"You sound like you've done this before," Alex said cautiously. "Like you've been here before."

Asuka's smile changed slightly. Her expression bore the hint of secrets long kept and knowledge hard won.

"Spoilers, sweetie. Spoilers."

Alex stared back in confusion. Asuka swiftly turned Alex to face the main room, patted her butt for luck and sent her in.

"Tell her everything will be okay," Asuka said firmly, yet kindly.

It was very apparent to Alex that Misa had spent the intervening time crying. Her eyes red and moist, her breath ragged and labored, Misa looked away in shame. Choking back her own tears and doubts, Alex sat next to her friend.

"I'm sorry," Alex began.

"No, I should be the one to apologize," Misa said through her tears. "I did something you did not want me to."

Alex glanced away before gathering her thoughts.

"How...do you feel…about me?" she asked slowly.

Misa turned to face Alex. "What do you mean?"

"Do you, y'no, love me - like that?"

Unable to answer, Misa cast her eyes to the floor.

"You should know," Alex continued, "I don't hate you if you do."

Misa bit her lip as she choked back a sob. Alex gathered Misa into her arms and gently rocked her back and forth. Misa broke down and sobbed unabashedly into Alex shoulder.

"You're my best mate, you know that, right?" Alex reassured Misa. "I am not quite sure where we go from here, but I want you with me."

Misa pulled free of Alex's embrace.

"And if I _am_ in love with you?"

Alex sucked air past her teeth then smiled, "Then you're in love with me."

"But you are not in love with me, are you?" Misa asked cautiously.

"Didn't say that," Alex replied cryptically.

"What do you mean by that?"

"I never really gave it much thought," Alex responded. "When Dad died, I just shut down emotionally. Then Mom drags me half way around the world away from my old friends. I had no one here until you came along."

Misa considered Alex's words carefully.

"You're the first person here to treat me like a friend," Alex continued. "I'm only sorry it took the end of the world to find you."

"I won't kiss you again," Misa promised.

"Never say never," Alex kidded. "Remember, I still have to figure myself out."

Misa smiled and blushed.

"Okay, Mister Bond."

"Caught that one too?"

"Apparently I am one of the biggest otakus in Japan as well."

Alex chuckled.

"I don't want to get your hopes up about us," Alex said finally. "Will you be okay if I can't return your affections?"

Misa fell silent before answering.

"I don't want to think about the future," she said. "I don't even want to think past today."

Alex took Misa back into her arms.

"We'll let tomorrow sort itself out," she said comfortingly. "For today, we look out for each other, agreed?"

Misa nodded.

Hidden from view in the hall, Asuka watched the event play out and smiled.

'_You did good, kid.'_

A/N: couple of references in there, but I am not going to ruin the surprise.


	4. Determined

The Maidens, Determined

Put at ease, Misa took Alex down to the pier where the Ark Royal's motor launch was tied up. A beach shed had been moved and converted to house some Royal Navy personnel and functioned as the go between ship and shore. Politely announcing her presence, Misa gained the attention of the sailor on duty that morning. For ease of communication, both girls switched to English.

"What may I do for you ladies?" the sailor asked pleasantly.

"I was wondering," Misa replied, "if there was any plan to return to the Home Islands?"

The sailor thought for a moment before answering."Not that I am aware of, but then nobody tells me nothin'."

Disheartened, Misa was about to turn for home when Corporal Davis and two fellow Royal Marines walked up from the village.

"Miss Kinoshita, Miss Schweiger," Davis called out in a friendly voice. "Settled in alright?"

"We are, thank you, Corporal," Misa responded cheerfully. She and Alex walked in the direction the men had come from before Misa stopped and turned around.

"Corporal, there is something you may be able to help us with."

Davis stopped and faced Misa.

"What's on your mind?"

"I was wondering if there were any plans to return to the Home Islands."

Davis mused for a few moments.

"Not for some time," he replied eventually. "The Americans want to fortify the Ryukyu chain and stabilize what's left before planning any return. Apparently, they are having a spot of bother."

Misa cast her eyes to the sandy lane. Davis at once felt sorry for the girl.

"I wish I knew more, but neither Captain McElroy nor Captain de Souza are planning anything either. The Sergeant Major is to take Sergeants White and Pegg with him to escort the Takagis into custody."

"Wait, the Takagis?" Misa perked up. "Souichirou and Yuriko Takagi?"

"Yes," Davis replied. "You know them?"

"We know of them," Alex responded. "They are the parents of a student from our school."

"Why are they being escorted into custody," Misa asked, regaining control of the conversation.

"Dunno," Davis shrugged his shoulders. "Sergeant Major Blake only said the reformed Japanese government wanted them for questioning. Beyond that, your guess is as good as mine."

"Questioning?" Misa muttered. "After everything that has happened the last two weeks, the politicians are still posturing."

Returning from the side tangent, Misa looked back to Davis, "Corporal Davis. Is there any way of getting to the Home Islands?"

"Swim, sail or fly," Davis replied. "Question is; what on earth for?"

"Civilization," Misa replied. "Or what's left of it. I have been thinking about what will happen here."

"Meaning what, exactly," Davis asked confused.

"Would it be possible to send a raiding party north, establish some foothold – a safe zone, if you will - to rescue civilization?"

"I don't really see why not," Davis mused. "But-"

"But what?" Misa pressed gently.

"That's a big undertaking," Davis observed. "Big and bloody dangerous."

He began thinking back to his time in the Embassy at the beginning of the outbreak.

"Is it possible to speak to either Captain McElroy or Captain de Souza?" Misa brought Davis back to the present.

Davis fell silent again. It was not unheard of to want to see the Captain, but for a high school student to make such a request out of the blue like that was outside Davis's experience.

"I guess so," he replied at length. "Why?"

"I want to go back," Misa replied evenly. "To Osaka if possible, but anywhere on the Home Islands is fine."

Alex and Davis let their jaws hit the deck. The other Marines, heretofore only casual listeners, joined in as well.

"Are you serious?" they chorused.

Misa looked askance at all of them.

"Absolutely," she said firmly. "I am perfectly willing to go on my own, but company would be preferable."

The dumbfounded looks on the faces of her audience suggested to Misa that they were none too keen on the idea. To her surprise, Davis smiled and began to nod appreciatively.

"Let's go and see the Captain," he said finally.

Misa took her turn caught off guard.

"Are you serious?" she parroted.

"I like your initiative," Davis replied. "You are not like the Americans; no offense, Miss Schweiger."

"None taken," Alex replied with a smile.

"You want things done," Davis returned to Misa. "I think Captain McElroy may agree to your idea.

* * *

><p>"Absolutely not!" McElroy refused loudly. "I will not send anyone, least of all untrained civilians, into harm's way on a fool's errand."<p>

"It is not a fool's errand," Misa countered coolly. Alex observed that Misa was very good at keeping her temper in check when the situation warranted. "All I am asking for is a quick raid to a public library near the shore and for your help in doing so."

"I cannot and will not authorize scarce resources on such a foolhardy adventure," McElroy held firm. "The Royal Navy will remain here and rebuild. Go beg off the Americans on Okinawa if you want books."

Alex took her turn and stepped in.

"Did Churchill say 'We are not authorizing scarce resources on such a foolhardy adventure,' when presented the plans for Dieppe?"

Caught by surprise, McElroy only harrumphed .

"Dieppe was a disaster, young lady," he said firmly. "And besides, Jerry usually stayed dead when shot."

"But it proved an invasion feasible and possible," Alex countered, "And gave a war weary people hope for the future."

McElroy pondered Alex's logic while gazing upon the stubbornly hopeful faces of his young audience. Sighing in resignation, McElroy cracked a faint smile.

"Clever, young lady. Very clever."

"We want this to happen," Misa added. "Alone if we have to."

"You most certainly will not," McElroy spoke sternly. He then faced his cabin door. "Davis!"

Davis entered and saluted.

"Sah!"

"Davis, escort these young ladies back to shore."

Misa and Alex watched their hopes dashed.

McElroy resumed speaking, "Then bring them back here at first light. I will have a Merlin at your disposal."

Barely believing their ears, Alex and Misa jumped onto McElroy and smothered him with hugs and pecks on the cheeks. Once the effusion of gratitude died down, McElroy assumed his serious demeanor once again.

"My better judgment is yelling at me not to, but since I obviously cannot dissuade the two of you, then I have no alternative but to give you what protection I can spare." McElroy sighed in resignation. "I have not yet lost anyone on this voyage and I don't intend to let you two wander off on your own."

Alex and Misa beamed anxiously.

"I will authorize this little circus on two conditions."

Alex and Misa leaned in closer.

"First, and of the utmost importance," McElroy counted on his fingers. "Corporal Davis is in absolute command. Whatever he tells you to do; you obey without question or hesitation. Understood?"

The girls nodded respectfully.

"Second. No side trips," McElroy ordered. "This is not a sight-seeing holiday. Get to your library, grab what you can carry and get out. Is that understood?"

"Yes, sir," the girls chirped in unison.

"I don't know why I let you talk me into this, but," McElroy sighed, "you remind me of a young naval officer fresh from the Royal War College many, many years ago."

Alex and Misa stood to leave.

"One last thing," McElroy interjected. "What books were you planning to retrieve?"

"History, science and classical literature," Misa replied purposefully. "Everything needed for productive young minds."

"You may want to throw an arithmetic book in there as well," McElroy suggested.

Misa nodded.

"Aye aye, Captain," she saluted and followed Alex out.


	5. Anticipating

The Maidens, Anticipating

The walk home from the pier was completed in silence. Misa had the look of determination that showed she would not be swayed. Arriving at the bungalow, they found a note pinned to the door.

'_Gone shopping. Be back later this afternoon. Wish me luck, Asuka._'

Letting themselves in, the girls settled onto their futons.

"This trip to Osaka isn't just some library milk run, is it?" Alex asked suddenly.

Misa jerked her head in Alex's direction. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"The Marines won't let you anyway," Alex continued.

"Won't what?"

"Won't let you visit your home," Alex replied

Misa looked away sadly.

"Tokonosu-cho is – er - was my home," she said unconvincingly.

Alex didn't argue.

Misa turned to face Alex once again. The look on her face suggested Misa wanted to say more, but did not know where to begin.

"I know about your step-father," Alex said, her voice soft and caring. "If that's what you wanted to say."

Misa bit her lip.

"You don't have to tell me anything if you don't want to. I won't pry," Alex assured Misa.

"How…when…?"

"You talk in your sleep," Alex said with a warm smile.

"Does Asuka-san know?"

"If she does, she won't say," Alex replied. "I think she'll wait for you to go to her."

"Like you did this morning," Misa asked, a sly smile playing across her lips.

"You heard?"

"Thin walls."

"Anyway," Alex got back on track. "We wouldn't be able to stop by your place. You heard what Captain McElroy said; no side trips."

Misa sighed in resignation.

"I just wanted to say my good byes," she said unconvincingly. "It's been almost two years."

Alex gently laid a hand on Misa's shoulder.

"Good bye with a Molotov?"

"That obvious?" Misa grinned sadly.

Alex returned a warmer smile.

"We ought to get dinner started," she said, abruptly changing subjects. "Asuka-san should be home soon."

As if on cue, the front door slid open to reveal Asuka with a triumphant look on her face and bulging sacks in each hand.

"I have good news and better news," she announced happily.

"Alright!" Alex congratulated.

Misa ribbed her gently."You don't know what it is yet."

"Good news is good news, yeah?"

Misa rolled her eyes. Alex giggled while Asuka patiently waited to speak.

Once assured of her window, Asuka spoke, "Good news is, I found fresh vegetables, enough for at least a week. We then plant the seeds and we have more this fall."

Alex and Misa nodded appreciatively.

"What's the better news?" Misa asked.

"Shaun – er – Sergeant Phillips has been transferred here," Asuka beamed.

"Not one to look a gift horse in the mouth," Alex began, "but why is he coming here? Wasn't he needed on Okinawa Jima?"

"He didn't give a reason," Asuka replied. "His message only said he was being transferred to Ikeijima."

Misa and Alex agreed among themselves that having Sergeant Phillips in Yonashiroikei would be a definite bonus. His skills put to use would relieve some burden on the already stretched thin Royal Navy. Plus, Asuka would finally get some time alone with him and that could only be a positive development.

"We have news of our own," Misa said abruptly.

"Oh? Do tell," Asuka replied.

"Alex and I got Captain McElroy to agree on a quick raid into Osaka."

Asuka's face dropped, "What do you mean, 'Alex and I'?"

"Just that," Misa said confidently. "We're going to Osaka."

"Oh, sweetie, I really think that's a bad idea," Asuka cautioned gently.

"It's only a quick snatch and grab," Alex explained.

"Exactly," Misa continued. "We get in, get a few things, get out."

Asuka looked askance at the two girls.

"What are you going to Osaka for?" she asked finally.

"Books," Misa said. "And I was raised there, so I am familiar with the area."

"If you want books, talk to the Americans," Asuka said. "I'm sure they have plenty they are not using."

"That's just what Captain McElroy said," Misa pouted slightly. "Besides, I don't want Japan to be anymore in debt to the Americans than we already are."

"So you thought debt to the British would be better?"

"The Captain already gave us his blessing," Misa defended. "We're set to go tomorrow."

Asuka set her jaw tightly. "It's no secret I don't want you to go. The Home Islands are a deadly dangerous place right now."

Misa made it plain by the look on her face that she would not budge her position.

Asuka relented, but only grudgingly.

"Well," she sighed in resignation. "I am not your mother and I am not your guardian, so I can't tell you no. However, as your friend – I hope - all I can say is, I wish you wouldn't."

"Besides, we're not going alone," Alex tried to comfort. "Corporal Davis and two other Royal Marines are going to escort us along with two pilots."

"That does not make me feel any better," Asuka demurred. "Three Royal Marines, you say?"

Alex and Misa nodded vigorously.

"And two pilots," Misa added.

"Corporal Davis helped us convince the Captain," Alex said.

"If you are determined to go, I want you to be extremely careful," Asuka sighed. "And I want you to promise me one thing."

Misa and Alex perked up.

"Name it," they chimed in unison.

"I want you to look out for each other."

"I will guard her with my life," Alex swore. "we will come home together or not at all."

Nowhere near convinced of the logic of this little adventure, Asuka put on a brave face to cheer the girls, "When does your flight leave?"

"Tomorrow at dawn," Misa replied, happiness creeping into her voice. "Corporal Davis will be here at sun up to escort us to the Ark Royal."

Asuka shook her head sadly, but smiled all the same. She then collected her scavengings and commented, "Let's get dinner started, shall we?"

That evening, following a light supper of steamed veggies, Alex finally made the effort to go through the deployment bag Franco gave her before departing Camp Zama to Haneda.

To her pleasant surprise, Alex found an assortment of things all three desperately needed. Dumping the main compartments onto the floor, the women found four pair of trousers, one in ACU pattern, in three differing sizes to fit Alex, Misa and Asuka. The same for packets of socks and undergarments. An ACU boonie hat with Alex's name in sharpie on the sweatband rounded out the garment haul. In side pouches, the group found a decently stocked first-aid kit, sewing and repair kit; MRE main meals totaling ten; assorted pens and pencils and a small note pad. An internal pouch revealed a 1.5 liter drink bladder with tube. Attached to the MOLLE strapping on the outside of the pack, an angle head flashlight with batteries and an Army issue fighting knife.

Alex found a hastily hand written note pinned to the ACU trousers.

'_Dear Alex,  
>I am sorry we did not have more time to talk while you were here. I greatly enjoyed the time we were able to spend and I hope you were able to make some peace with your father. Please accept this pack and its contents as a small token of my eternal gratitude. I trust you and your friends will find everything useful and to your satisfaction.'<br>Regards, Lt Col John Franco, 1__st__ Cav, US Army'_

Alex held up the bag and grinned at Misa, "We can use this."

Misa nodded her agreement. Asuka remained silent as she catalogued the first-aid and sewing kits. The MREs were placed into storage as they would keep for some time.

The late spring sun sank over the mountains of Okinawa Jima. Yawns appeared and sleepiness set in.

"You girls have an early start," Asuka reminded them. "We best turn in for the night."

Goodnights were exchanged, bedding laid out, and one by one, the housemates drifted into slumber.


	6. Intrepid

The Maidens, Intrepid

As promised, Corporal Davis knocked politely on the front door just as the sky grew light with the coming dawn. Half asleep, Asuka staggered over and unceremoniously yanked the door open. Caught off guard slightly, Davis quickly regained his composure and announced his intention to collect Alex and Misa.

"They are just finishing up," Asuka said through a yawn. "They will be out in a minute. Would you like to come in?"

"Oh, no, thank you" Davis declined politely. "I shall remain out here."

Asuka nodded as she pulled the door closed.

"Although, before you go back in," Davis interrupted with a sly smile. "There is someone here who claims to have traveled a long way to see you."

Confused, Asuka screwed up her face as she wiped the sleep from her eyes. As she focused on the blur just to the left and behind Davis, Asuka woke with a complete start. Squealing with joy, she ran past Davis and jumped happily into the waiting arms of Sergeant Shaun Phillips.

"You made it!" Asuka announced a bit too loudly. She then wrapped herself around the unfortunate man kissing him about the head and neck to the grumpy surprise of the neighbors.

Alex and Misa delicately stepped passed the overjoyed woman and her put upon man and bowed politely to Davis.

The girls had spent part of the previous night planning what to take. Into the deployment bag they placed one MRE, filled the drink bladder and attached the flashlight and pry bar to the MOLLE strapping. Misa slipped two of her noise-makers into a side pouch.

Alex carried the deployment bag strapped to her body. Wearing running shoes, her spanking new ACU trousers and her boonie hat; she looked very much like a soldier ready for battle.

Except for her top.

Being the extreme otaku she was, Alex tight-wrapped her torso in white bandaging, effectively binding her breasts to her chest with an open button-down shirt completing the look.

"You look like a yakuza dressed like that," Misa said, mildly disapproving. "What are you, some 70's gangster girl? All you need now is a banner on a pole."

Alex smirked and chuckled confidently.

"I wanna keep the girls down, so they don't get in the way and I don't hurt 'em. A bra simply would not do a proper job."

Misa rolled her eyes in exasperation. Even in trying times like this, her friend's odd sense of humor would manifest itself in the weirdest of situations.

"I hope you didn't use up all our bandages on that folly," Misa replied. "I would hate to think if one of us got seriously hurt, but couldn't get fixed up."

"Naw," Alex assured her. "I found this with all the other junk from when we catalogued the house the first evening."

Still unconvinced, Misa simply turned to the door. By comparison to her friend, Misa dressed quite conservatively. She wore her denim trousers, a T-shirt and sneakers. A baseball cap atop her head completed the outfit. She carried the note pad and a pen in her back pocket.

Alex slipped her fighting knife into a thigh pocket and carried her boken in hand.

Saying their farewells and wishes for good luck, Alex gave Asuka a wink and a gentle nudge to the ribs which resulted in Asuka blushing a deep crimson. Recovering her wits enough, she untangled herself from Shaun and placed a kiss on each girl's forehead and bid them all the luck in the world. She stood on the stoop, hand-in-hand with Shaun as they watched Davis escort the girls into the unknown.

* * *

><p>Meeting up with Lance Corporal Edmonds and Private Sharpe on the flight deck of the Ark Royal, the party made its way to the Merlin warming up. The pilot and co-pilot helped the civilians strap in and hooked up their com-sets. Misa handed over her hand drawn map and navigation aids to the pilot.<p>

* * *

><p>The flight into Osaka from Ikeijima was tense, but uneventful. The Merlin approached without fanfare, but not escaping the notice of the corpses shambling about on the street. The co-pilot maneuvered his way into the cargo bay and fixed an M240 light machine gun into a sling mount. He then fed the belt ammo and opened the door. He visually swept the roof top several times before he gave the all clear.<p>

"Captain McElroy gave strict orders," he informed the party. "We are airborne and over the sea by sundown." Everyone nodded their understanding and gave the thumbs up.

The helo touched down onto the roof.

"There is a rooftop landing pad a few blocks over," the co-pilot continued. "We are going to set down there and wait for your signal."

Unstrapped and clear of the Merlin, the party rapidly approached the roof access door. The co-pilot/gunner kept his weapon trained on the door as Davis cautiously turned the latch, opened it quickly and sprung out of the way. Tense seconds passed until the gunner gave the thumbs up.

"Remember; maintain trigger discipline," Davis cautioned his Marines. "Bayonets and rifle butts are your primary means of attack. Open fire only if you are outnumbered and surrounded. Head shots are the only kill shots." The Marines fixed bayonets and the raiders moved inside.

"Interesting," Misa mused as she gazed into the stairwell.

"What's interesting?" Alex asked.

"We must be outside the effect radius of the EMP, or else backup generators have started up."

Indeed, the stairwell was comfortingly well lit. Finding the stairwell blessedly free, they entered the third floor stacks and formed a tight circle to cover all sides. Misa whispered to Davis that what she wanted was all on the second and third floors, so they had no reason to descend any further.

"Let's get what we need and bugger off," Davis whispered back.

Edmonds covered Misa down her first chosen aisle. He silently moved to the end and covered that approach while Davis and Sharpe covered the main aisle. Alex deposited her bag by the stairwell door, her boken in hand, ready to accept Misa's books.

Misa quickly reviewed her list, grabbed two books and made her way back to the stairwell. Edmonds, noticing Misa moving out, silently walked backward, keeping his weapon trained on the end of the aisle. Alex covered Misa as she deposited her first cache. Misa swiftly returned to the group as they made their way further from the stairwell. Davis ordered a halt as he encountered movement. Edmonds and Sharpe covered as Davis dispatched the corpse.

Repeating the aisle search procedure, Misa retrieved three more books. Satisfied, the party rejoined Alex at the stairwell and moved to the second floor.

Approaching the door, Alex took point and peeked into the stacks. She then closed the door and turned to Davis.

"Okay, let me get this straight," she whispered. "Bollocks is bad whereas dog's bollocks is good, right?"

Confused, Davis nodded uncertainly.

"That's right," he whispered his reply. "Why?"

Alex jerked her thumb to the door. Davis opened it a crack, gazed out then closed the door.

"Oh, bollocks," he hissed quietly. "Well, this trip is for nothing unless we get what we came for, so…"

Sharpe stayed to guard Misa as Alex deposited her bag by the door and joined in the slaughter. Stiff resistance had been encountered and the body count promised to be high. This time out, the party opted to sweep the entire floor to give Misa extra time to choose her books more carefully.

After about 45 minutes, the raiders regrouped and declared the second floor clear.

Given free reign, Misa began a thorough and methodical search and chose her titles with more care. She returned to deposit her latest haul, but was caught with a gasp as she saw a woman creep along the wall towards her. Sharpe quickly rounded on Misa and leveled his weapon on the unknown figure.

"Oh Please, dear God, don't shoot," the woman called out in functional, yet formal, Japanese. She dropped to her knees and held her hands over her head.

Sharpe lowered his weapon and instructed the woman to stand.

"Thank God you found me," the woman said. She was pale and gaunt and looked as though she had neither slept nor eaten in days.

They took seats in a presentation room. In one corner, a half-full water bucket with the kanji 'fire' stamped upon it; in the opposite corner, a similar bucket with rather more foul contents. Politely disregarding the woman's body odor as a necessary evil, the raiders made introductions then began their questions.

"My name is Eun-ji Park, but my friends all call me Angie," she said. "I'm from Seattle and I just graduated from the University of Washington – Go Huskies! – with a Bachelor's in Electrical Engineering. Say, y'all wouldn't have anything to eat, would you? I'm starving! I've been trapped in here for a week with nothing but water."

Davis quickly dug into a PLCE pouch and handed over an energy bar and one of his water bottles. Gratefully accepting both, Angie turned back to the group.

"I haven't seen you in here before," she observed. "When did you arrive?"

"We just flew in this morning," Davis replied. "There is a seat on the helo if you want it."

Angie let her jaw fall open, "Are you shitting me! Hell yeah, I want it!"

Everyone laughed at the outburst.

"What brings you to Japan, if I may ask," Misa queried once the laughing died down.

"I was part of UW's Technical Japanese Language Program on top of my undergrad work," Angie replied proudly. "This was my last semester overseas before going…home."

The group fell silent. There was not one among them who did not dream of returning to a place that no longer existed.

Angie turned to Alex, "What brought you here?"

"My mother," Alex replied distantly. "When my dad died, mom moved us to her family's home in Tokonosu-cho, Tokyo."

Angie offered her condolences. Misa, quickly grasping the deteriorating mood, changed subjects.

"I have what I came for," she said. "We can leave anytime."

At that moment, Davis held his earpiece to his ear and toggled his throat mic.

"Say again Charlie Victor, Say again."

Silence. The party got antsy. Silence over comms was never a good thing.

"Roof, Now!" Davis ordered. Angie grabbed her messenger bag and hustled after the raiding party.

The group arrived on the roof in time to watch the Merlin take heavy fire before it was brought down with an RPG.

"Holy shit!" Misa cursed aloud in English. Alex spun in place to regard her friend in complete surprise.

The burning mass of metal that was their escape fell to the street below and engulfed itself in flame.

Davis turned to Misa, "You grew up here, correct?"

Misa nodded, "My parents' house is near here. We can make it before sundown if we hurry."

Clearing the stairwell to the first floor, the party found itself watching the lobby empty out. Attracted to the explosion and commotion outside, most of Them opted to investigate. Those left behind met their second deaths at the hands of the raiding party.

Davis moved to the door and peered through the glass.

"Are they still nearby?" Alex asked.

Davis nodded.

"How many?"

"…lots."

Sitting tight for the time being, the group holed up behind the circulation desk near the waiting area. Edmonds borrowed the pry bar and made his way to the vending machines while Davis and Sharpe covered him over the desktop. Edmonds pried open the snack machine, distributed its contents among the party then repeated the process with a drink machine. He then returned the pry bar to Alex who replaced it on her pack.

Davis checked the main doors once more and signaled the all clear. The party collected its belongings then left as a whole.

Mass chaos was evident upon exiting. Someone or group had acquired explosives and recently used them to clear swathes of Them from the streets. Blood and body parts were strewn about in every direction. The hulks of cars, those burned out and those still burning, interspersed with cars still in some semblance of order lined the curbs and filled the street. The flaming wreck of the Merlin reminded everyone in the party just how dangerous the living could be. Recent craters in the pavement and bullet holes in walls and other surfaces gave the impression of a military operation rather than the zom-pocalypse. Smoke filled the air. A thin haze hung with a grey pall that lent an eerie atmosphere and blurred fine details more than a few meters out. Worse, whoever shot the Merlin out of the air was lurking in that haze, ready to pounce.

Misa gave directions to Davis who took point down the street. Edmonds took the rear with Sharpe while Alex offered to guard Misa and Angie in the center.

Misa noticed a subtle change in Alex. Or maybe it had always been there and never had an outlet. Or Misa had never noticed before. Since arriving that morning, Alex bore a smile that hinted at something dark lurking beneath the surface. That Alex not only joined, but enjoyed the wholesale slaughter of Them back in the library irked the back of Misa's mind. She worried that her friend would lose her self and become nothing better than a living version of Them.

Davis, on the other hand, had his own worries. He did not want to run the risk of a walking corpse bursting from a building and blind-siding the party. At the same time, he had no love for the open street that made spotting the group ridiculously easy. Forced to choose the lesser of two evils, Davis cursed as he moved the party down the middle of the street. Some distance away, maybe two blocks or less, gun fire punctuated the otherwise stifling late spring air.

Three blocks into their march, Davis signaled a halt. His reasons became abundantly clear when he pointed out a heap of corpses, all roughly aligned and all facing in more or less the same direction.

"What's up?" Sharpe whispered as he moved to the front.

"Sniper," Davis answered silently. He gestured to the 10 storey mixed-use building dominating the intersection to their left.

Davis slowly removed his shemagh from a pouch, tied it to his rifle barrel and waved it like a flag in front of the building. His signal was answered in short order by a paper airplane sailing from an upper storey window. Landing nearby, Misa ran to grab it, returned to the group and opened it. Inside, a hastily hand-written note addressing the party.

'_Welcome Strangers,_

_We did not expect to see another living soul pass this way. If you be friendly, hold your weapons over your heads and await an escort. If you intend harm, move along or be shot on sight. Please do not attempt any rash or sudden movements. Our marksman is deadly accurate.'_

_Detective Tsujimoto Kenichi  
>Osaka Metropolitan Police<em>

**A/N: There actually was a Japanese movie from the 1970s called "Gangster Girl" (yes, I am nerdy enough to know it and I watched it) The dialogue concerning bollocks comes from the movie "The 51st State" (known as "Formula 51" in the US)**


	7. Diverted

The Maidens, Diverted

The party was led into what turned out to be a Super Viva Home Store. The main floor had been converted into a veritable fortress of aisle mazes and barricades favoring the defenders. They were escorted to what used to be the manager's office, disarmed and politely told to wait.

"How did we end up in this situation again?" Misa asked.

"Plot device," Alex answered sardonically.

Misa screwed her face with confusion, and then shook the feeling off.

Presently, an older man entered the room. He was in his mid-fifties by Misa's guess; his hair grey at the temples. He wore an obviously well-worn police officer's uniform, blooded and ill-repaired in places; his sidearm carefully holstered and meticulously cared for.

"Greetings. I am Detective Sergeant Tsujimoto Kenichi, Osaka Metropolitan Police. I welcome you to our sanctuary."

Unceremoniously 'volunteered' to be leader, Davis stood, bowed respectfully and addressed the senior man in Japanese. Davis then made introductions for the group and ended by explaining how they found themselves in Tsujimoto's hospitality.

"I am curious," Tsujimoto replied, "as to why three fully armed and equipped British Marines are escorting three students through sub-urban Osaka in the midst of such – shall we say unpleasant circumstances."

"If it pleases you," Misa spoke in her native Kansai-ben. "It was to satisfy my vanity for books. I had some illusions about saving a small bit of what was left and transplanting it to our new home in the Ryukyu Islands."

"The last I had heard," Tsujimoto said, never taking his eyes from Davis, "was that Okinawa Prefecture was under the same assault as elsewhere in the world. Am I mistaken in this?"

"Not entirely," Davis replied, his gaze steady upon Tsujimoto. "There are pockets free of the infection where humans have a semblance of normal lives."

Edmonds and Sharpe stood ill at ease. Alex felt a shiver up her spine every time Tsujimoto spoke. Angie kept eyeing the door.

Tsujimoto cocked an eyebrow at Davis' response. Davis built upon his answer to explain that the HMS Ark Royal had taken survivors from the Tokyo area and resettled them on an island in the Ryukyu group. He carefully avoided naming Ikeijima specifically, his own suspicions about Tsujimoto preying on his mind as well.

Tsujimoto closed his eyes in contemplation as Davis related his tale.

"And the British went along with this girl's plan," Tsujimoto replied. He opened his eyes and regarded Misa with a disconcerting stare. Alex instinctively moved closer to protect her friend. "It is hard to believe that the British would allow themselves to be swayed by the arguments of one so young."

"If we could boost the signal," Davis produced his handy-talkie. "Captain McElroy would confirm our story."

Tsujimoto chuckled unnervingly. Two younger men, both wearing police uniforms had moved into position outside the door. They held their M37 Chiefs Special Airweight police revolvers in hand.

"I am afraid we are quite cut off here," he said. He then regarded the women hungrily. "We have had no outside contact since the day after the outbreak. We offer sanctuary to those who seek it, but we have no communications."

Davis returned his radio to its pouch then placed his hands behind his back as he assumed a parade rest stance. He then began signaling Edmonds and Sharpe to ready themselves. The men took notice of the corner outside the room where their weapons had been stacked, Alex's boken and knife among them.

"You see, Corporal Davis, Royal Marines, I promised my men I would lead them, guide them and protect them," Tsujimoto continued. "I cannot allow anyone to upset that order."

"Then we shall be on our way," Davis said as he got everyone on their feet.

"I think not," Tsujimoto undressed the women with his eyes. "You and your men are free to go. The women however are to remain as my guests."

Edmonds sat down and crossed his leg at the knee. Alex saw from the corner of her eye that Edmonds was inching his hand toward his boot. She decided at once to make her move. She gracefully swept to block Tsujimoto's view of Edmonds and leaned over.

"Your men," she purred into Tsujimoto's ear. "What are their names?"

Barely maintaining his composure, Tsujimoto stuttered: "O-Otani and Kotobuki."

Davis, catching onto Alex's plan, weighed his options. He and his men could certainly overpower the three cops, grab their weapons and make for the doors. His problem lay with the civilians. He guessed that Alex could acquit herself well, considering what he witnessed in the library. The other two were complete unknowns. He and his men would have to overpower the cops, gather weapons and cover the civilian escape against an unknown and almost certainly hostile force occupying the building.

Opting to take his chances, he signaled Edmonds and Sharpe to ready an attack. Alex made her way to the door and began 'occupying' the attentions of the guards. She turned their backs to the door and winked at Davis.

"Go Lads!"

Edmonds instantly had a push dagger in his hands as Davis overpowered and flattened Tsujimoto. Alex placed one man in a choke hold while Edmonds stabbed the other in the back of the neck before the poor cop could register the attack. In her haste and excitement, Alex over exerted her hold and broke her target's neck. During the scuffle, Sharpe broke onto the main floor, gathered everyone's weapons and distributed them accordingly. In complete shock, Misa and Angie gaped for a second before Davis snapped their spell.

"Grab our kit!" he yelled. "We're leaving!"

As commanded, Misa and Angie shouldered their respective bags and fell into line with the Marines and Alex. As they made to the front of the store, Misa swore she saw the slasher smile play across Alex's lips once more.

Angie moved into the lead ahead of Davis.

"What are you doing, girl?"

"I used to do these kinds of puzzles all the time as a kid," Angie explained. "I memorized the path on our way in."

Davis held her to his side as he covered their way through the maze. Edmonds and Sharpe covered their egress while Alex watched over Misa. As they rounded a corner, a pistol shot rang out. Davis turned to see Edmonds drop his rifle. Sharpe quickly located the source of the shot, took aim and killed the opposing shooter. Edmonds gripped his right shoulder as his rifle hung from its sling.

The group made the exit and gained the street. Davis pointed to an intersection at the end of the block.

"We rally there," he ordered. "Split into pairs. I will take Miss Park. Miss Schweiger, are you okay to accompany Miss Kinoshita?"

Alex nodded.

"Good," Davis continued. "Sharpe, take care of Edmonds. Space out 10 meters and run for all you're worth. Hug the building to stay out of their sniper's sights."

Davis took Angie by the hand and they ran for their lives. At the aforementioned distance, Alex and Misa set off running. As they neared the intersection, another shot, this one a medium powered rifle, rang out. Alex screamed in pain as she collapsed gripping her left thigh. Davis gave covering fire as Sharpe and Edmonds assisted the wounded girl. Meeting at the rally point just as several corpses burst onto the sidewalk, the group rounded the corner away from the sniper.

Sadly, the corpses decided to follow Alex's screams. Misa, thinking quickly, stripped Alex's shirt and jammed it into her mouth. She then reached into the deployment bag and retrieved one of her noise makers. Demanding a light, she lit the fuse and sent the grenade flying to the opposite corner.

Interminable seconds passed as she awaited the detonation.

**BOOM!**

Thrown to the deck by the ensuing shockwave, Misa was understandably confused. She assumed she had concocted noise-makers. The resultant blast consumed a car and shattered several windows. Thankful for any distraction, the group rallied and set off into a residential neighborhood.

Davis took a sweat rag and tied it tightly around Alex's leg to stop the bleeding.

"The bullet went clean through, but she has lost a considerable amount of blood," he announced. "We need shelter for the night – fast."

"My parent's house is two blocks away," Misa said as she pointed away down the lane. "There is a high fence all around and we can treat everyone there."

Out of options, Davis agreed.

The group moved as quickly as they dared while trying to avoid detection. Angie and Misa held onto Alex as she limped along, wincing in pain every time her left leg contacted the pavement. Davis declared weapons free and the Marines took up a walking circle. Edmonds shouldered his weapon to his left shoulder and had wrapped his shemagh around his face to deflect spent brass ejected from his rifle. Unable to avoid contact, the Marines made every shot count until they reached the Kinoshita residence.

Finding the house seemingly undisturbed, Davis tried the gate.

Locked.

"Boost me over," Misa said as she slipped Alex's boken through the bars.

Davis and Sharpe heaved the petite girl over the wrought-iron, open work fence. As she landed in the yard, the shrubbery to the side of the house rustled. Davis took aim, but Misa inadvertently stepped into his line of fire.

Davis lowered his weapon. As he was about to call Misa out of the way, the bush disgorged an older man. Mostly bald, his remaining hair was white at the temples. His face was partially chewed up, but Misa instantly recognized the corpse.

"Oh, fuck you eternally, you filthy, child-molesting bastard," she hissed as she picked up Alex's boken. "You finally got what you deserved."

Laughing and cursing with her own sadistic glee, Misa swung hard at her deceased step-father's face. The boken connected with the jaw with such force to break the bone and spin the creature 180 degrees. She then brought the boken down on the creature's head and shattered its skull.

Misa then jumped onto the corpse's back and, laughing manically now through tears, repeatedly smashed the boken into its head until nothing was left put a puddle of brain mass and bone bits. Her rage spent, Misa stood there on her step father's corpse and emptied her stomach. The years of fear, pain and self-loathing were finally at an end. There were no more tears. Misa at long last felt nothing.

"Miss Kinoshita!" Davis hissed through his teeth.

Misa turned to regard the party. Her eyes had lost all their sparkle and the blood splattered across her face gave her a ghoulish appearance and sent everyone back a step. Alex's boken hung limp in her hands as she moved mechanically toward the gate.

"Misa-chan." Alex called out rather a bit too loudly. "You gotta open the gate for us, sweetheart."

The luster returned to Misa's eyes.

The spectacle had attracted more unwanted guests as They approached the house. Misa, snapped from her reverie, quickly unlocked the gate and admitted the party. Once everyone was inside, Davis silently clicked the gate shut and immediately imposed noise discipline as they entered the house.

**A/N: for jm1681 who demanded to see the body.**


	8. Sullied

The Maidens, Sullied

Davis and Sharpe swiftly swept both floors while Misa and Angie tended to the wounded. Sharpe returned from upstairs and reported finding the corpse of an older woman in the upstairs tub, her wrists slit open. Davis came from down the hall shortly after and both men declared the house empty. The two men then hastily moved to reinforce the fence against a push. Securing all entrances, the group hunkered in to wait Them out.

The wounded were taken upstairs for treatment. Misa and Angie took Alex to Misa's old room while Davis and Sharpe escorted Edmonds to the master suite. Edmonds suffered in silence as Sharpe dug the pistol bullet out of his shoulder with his Fairbairn-Sykes.

"You're bloody lucky, mate," Sharpe said as he handed the bullet to Edmonds as a souvenir. "This missed your shoulder blade _and_ lungs by millimeters."

"Thanks mate," Edmonds said as he accepted the bullet with a smirk. "One more bullet ho' to add to me collection."

Sharpe cleansed the wound with a mixture of water and peroxide then bandaged the wound.

In Misa's room, Alex grunted in pain as Misa unwrapped her torso of the bandaging.

"Not so dumb now, huh?" Alex gritted her teeth.

Misa could only offer a halting laugh as she finished the unwrapping. Misa and Angie both drew a sharp breath to see the nasty scar that cut its way in a rough diagonal across Alex's lower torso.

"Oh, My Lord, how did that happen?" Angie exclaimed.

"This is what prompted my mom to move us here," Alex explained. "I didn't take dad's death well and started running with a bad crowd."

As Misa delicately traced the keloid ridge with her index finger, both girls blushed furiously.

"I never noticed this before," Misa admitted.

"I didn't want you to see," Alex replied shyly.

"Even in the bath?" Misa asked.

"I got out of there so fast, that by the time you had the chance to see, you were already working on Asuka-san."

Misa continued to trace the line of scarring. While not finding the sensation unpleasant, Alex brought Misa's attention to the present.

"Um," she pointed to the hole in her thigh. "What about my leg?"

"Ah! Gomen na."Misa apologized. "I seem to lose my thoughts around you."

Completely clueless on the subtext, Angie aided Alex in getting her pants off and carefully inspected the wound.

"Like the man Davis said," Angie proclaimed. "Through and through. Kinoshita-san, where do you keep your first aid supplies?"

"In the bathroom across the hall," Misa pointed to the door. "All the medicines are under the sink."

Angie shrieked as she flicked on the light and came face to face with a body lying in the tub. Davis and Sharpe thundered in behind her in short order, bayonets at the ready. Misa came to investigate the commotion.

Confronting the rest of her tortured past, Misa requested everybody out of the room. Angie hurriedly grabbed some hydrogen peroxide and a wash cloth and beat her retreat into Misa's room.

Closing the door behind her, Misa turned to the corpse in the tub. The words '_Forgive me'_ written in blood smeared the tiles.

"So you took the easy way out again, eh mother?" she seethed. She spared the phlegm to spit into the rust-red water. "You refused to protect me as a child, turned your back on my father's memory and chose not to even try and save yourself in the end. When I die and meet you in the afterlife, I will spit upon you again."

She turned her back in contempt and proceeded to wash her face of her step-father's blood. Finished, Misa then fished out the medicine chest.

Returning to her bedroom, Misa found Angie tying part of Alex's yakuza wrapping into a bandage around the wound.

"It doesn't look infected, "Angie said. "I won't know for sure until we change the bandage."

"I commend you on your skills, Miss Park," Misa said calmly. She placed the medicines on the bed.

"I took a basic first aid course in college," Angie waved off the compliment. "I really don't know much more than bandaging wounds and calming victims."

"More than I could do," Misa admitted.

Alex watched the interplay unfold.

"I could use a drink," she spoke up.

"I will get you some water," Misa smiled as she placed her hand on Alex's forehead.

"Could I request something a bit stronger?"

"You could," Misa began, "but you would be disappointed. Alcohol thins the blood and I need you healthy in a hurry."

Angie finally caught the mild tension between the two high schoolers and made to excuse herself.

"I will go and see how the others are doing."

Left alone, Alex regarded Misa. "Are you okay now?"

Misa cocked her head slightly. "What do you mean?"

"I saw how you reacted to the zom - er – the body in the yard. That was some pretty vicious stuff."

Misa turned her gaze out the window to the night sky.

"I am finally free of that man," Misa sighed in relief. "To know that he can no longer harm me has taken a huge burden off my shoulders."

Alex took Misa's hand and gently caressed the palm with her thumb. Misa blushed again, but left her hand in Alex's care.

"I worry about you," Alex whispered.

Misa faced her friend. "You're worried about me? I should be the one worrying about you."

Alex smiled. "I saw the look on your face when Corporal Davis had to get your attention."

Misa choked back a tear. Alex tugged Misa into her arms and gently stroked Misa's hair.

The two sat in each other's arms for some time. Misa then pulled away slightly to look Alex in the eye. "I noticed you, too."

Alex took her turn to cock her head.

"I noticed how you smiled when you helped the Marines clear the library," Misa clarified. "I also saw you smile when you killed the policeman."

Alex dropped her gaze sadly.

"I had no choice," she said at length. "Those men wanted to keep us prisoner. They would have…"

The rest of the sentence was allowed to die.

"Promise me that you won't leave me," Misa pleaded softly.

"Where would I go?" Alex replied in confusion.

"Don't become like Them," Misa said. "I want you to stay you, not turn into a vicious killer."

Alex chewed her lip to keep from giggling, but lost it all the same, "I promise I will not give myself to The Dark Side."

"Aho ya!"

* * *

><p>True to her words, Angie rigged up a signal booster for Davis' radio by patching it into the house's TV aerial.<p>

"It's crude, but effective," Angie grinned at her work.

A thorough dressing down was in the offing for poor Corporal Davis upon regaining contact with the Ark Royal. Marine Captain de Souza berated Davis for taking untrained civilians into harm's way, then Navy Captain McElroy chewed Davis out for losing a helicopter. After several minutes of the two yelling and screaming, cooler heads prevailed when McElroy relieved Davis of any fault for the failure of the mission. Too many variables could not be accounted for; the complete breakdown of order encountered being the biggest. McElroy finally congratulated Davis on seeing his group as far as he had.

"However," McElroy continued. "I simply cannot spare another helo on a rescue. With the amount of chaos you've described, I won't take that risk."

Davis' heart sank at the realization that he, his men and the three girls had just been written off as lost.

"If you can make to open water and away from that lunacy," McElroy rejoined "I will send the helo for you." A modicum of hope restored, Davis relayed Edmonds' and Alex's conditions. He reckoned two days minimum downtime before they could even consider moving again.

Davis informed Edmonds and Sharpe of their new situation, his guess on their odds at surviving and asked his troop what they thought.

"We're Royal Marines, Corporow," Edmonds spoke cheerfully. "We don' know the word 'quit' and we won' jus' turn up our toes an' die."

His confidence returned, Davis ordered the household occupants to bed.

**A/N: for jm1681 to satisfy his need for closure. As always, I wish to thank Draco38 and jm1681 for their time and extra pairs of eyes.**


	9. Decisive

The Maidens, Decisive

Alex awoke stiffly. Her leg hurt and it was suddenly difficult to breathe. She lifted her head to see Misa's half naked form draped across her lower torso and her legs sprawled on the bed next to them. Much calmer than the day before, Alex gently shook Misa awake.

"Ah, gomen na," Misa apologized. "I must have fallen asleep."

"This is becoming a habit," Alex cracked a smile.

Misa blushed furiously, "I will leave you alone now."

Alex grabbed Misa's arm before the other girl could move to leave. They stared deep into each other's eyes for long seconds before another voice broke their moment.

"What time is it?" Angie yawned as she sat up from the floor. She had built a nest out of some spare bedding at the foot of Misa's bed.

Misa looked to the desk clock as it merrily ticked away.

"Almost nine," she said.

Angie thanked Misa then excused herself from the room. The sound of water running through the pipes signaled the use of the master bath.

"Hungry?" Misa asked once the two were alone.

"Starving," Alex announced as her stomach roared its displeasure.

"Be right back," Misa assured.

Alex made to stand. Misa gently, yet purposefully, placed her hand on Alex's chest and pushed her flat.

"You are in no fit state to even stand, let alone walk."

"Yes mistress," Alex winked playfully.

Again, Misa blushed a deep crimson. "Is now really the best time to tease me like this?"

"Is there any better time?" Alex responded happily.

"When we are away from here and home safe on Ikeijima," Misa scolded lightly.

"Promises, promises," Alex winked mischievously. "When is the evacuation?"

"Corporal Davis said there won't be one," Misa replied sadly.

Alex's heart skipped a beat at the news. "Come again?"

"Captain McElroy won't come for us unless we can get out to sea," Misa finished.

Alex said nothing as Misa excused herself to get breakfast. Alone with her thoughts, Alex gazed out the bedroom window. The pall of haze from yesterday seemed to be a tad thicker and darker. A distant explosion split the eerie silence and rattled the windows as a fresh column of smoke ascended into the sky. Osaka grew more dangerous by the minute. With no emergency services, that fire could spread quickly and engulf the entire city.

Misa returned to face a determined Alex. Misa set the bowl of miso soup on the bed stand.

"Leave me," Alex commanded softly.

"Nani iu ten nen!"

"I said, leave me," Alex repeated. "I can't run, can't even walk. I will only slow you down."

"I won't leave you," Misa sniffed through burgeoning tears.

"You'll be better off if you do," Alex explained. She forced a stiff upper lip in a show of confidence.

Misa sat on the bed and gently chucked Alex's shoulder.

"Yame toki," she said, looking into Alex's eyes. "Remember your promise to Asuka-san. We come home together or not at all."

Alex squeezed her eyes shut and shifted her head away.

"J-Joudan deshita."

"Joudan yanai de!" Misa exclaimed tearfully. "Uso Yan! Honmani."

Alex turned her head back to face a heavily crying Misa. She wrapped her arms around Alex and wept openly into her shoulder.

"Ahoka omae."

Davis popped his head in to see the source of the commotion.

"Is everything alright in here?" he asked gently.

"This fool told me to leave her behind," Misa cried without looking.

Davis jerked his head back slightly in surprise.

"I beg your pardon?" he asked incredulously.

"She told me to leave her behind," Misa repeated. "That she would only slow us down."

Davis gaped at Alex in shock, "What in Heaven's name possessed you make such a judgment, Miss Schweiger?"

"It's true, isn't it?" Alex asked as tears moistened her eyes. "If I can't move on my own, I am a liability."

"My dear girl," Davis said firmly. "No one is going anywhere without you."

Alex took her turn to gape at Davis.

"But-"

"But nothing," Davis interrupted. "We are _all_ getting out of Osaka and we are _all_ going back to Ikeijima."

"Why?" Alex asked unsteadily.

"Why, what?" Davis asked.

"Why risk your life for someone who can't do for herself?"

A smile played across Davis' lips.

"Because I am a Royal Marine," he explained. "Because Edmonds and Sharpe are Royal Marines. It is our duty to help those in need. We gave our oaths to Captain McElroy, Captain de Souza and to Miss Ikeda that we would get you into Osaka and get you back home. That's why."

Dumbfounded, Alex could only smile through her tears.

"How?"

Davis smiled broadly.

"After her bath, Miss Park noticed a van across the street," he explained. "We're going to – ah – borrow it and get the bloody hell out of here."

Alex gave a sly smile through her drying tears.

"You mean you're gonna hijack the van?"

Misa gently backhanded Alex's shoulder.

"Nandeyanen," she chided softly. "They are going to scavenge it."

"Yes, of course we are," Davis laughed softly. "Miss Kinoshita, as our resident guide, I am going to need as accurate a map as you can provide from here to the marina. Please include as many routes as possible."

"Yes, corporal," Misa said happily.

"I am going to ask Miss Park to look over Miss Schweiger once more and then we will depart. Gather anything important you can fit into a bag because we're taking that too."

Misa grabbed an old backpack and took it downstairs to the kitchen. Angie stuffed all the medications and first-aid items in the house into her messenger bag. She then removed the bandage from around Alex's leg.

"Looks okay, but we shouldn't stay here too long without proper medical attention," Angie confirmed.

Replacing the bloody gauze with fresh, she retied the wrapping.

"How is the leg?" she asked Alex.

"A bit stiff," Alex replied as she tried to flex her thigh. "If I'm careful, I'll make it."

Angie and Davis gave Alex some privacy to re-bind her chest with the remaining wrap. Davis returned with Sharpe to carry Alex down stairs. Gently placing her on the couch, the Marines checked the lane for any activity. Motioning all clear, the three men burst out onto the lane and made their way to the van. Edmonds stopped mid route to pick up a small stone. Davis raised an eyebrow.

"Distraction," Edmonds explained. "I throw this at a car with an alarm and ping."

Taking slightly more than five minutes to break into and hot wire the van, the Marines rolled up to the gate. Edmonds took the wheel while Davis and Sharpe carried Alex into the rear. Angie and Misa ran out carrying everyone's packs. As she passed, Misa spared a moment to deliver a final kick to her deceased step-father's torso. She then picked up her bags and and jumped in just as hungry mouths threatened to cut off their escape.

Edmonds drove carefully, yet kept a modestly decent clip. The ever present results of accidents were avoided or nudged painstakingly out of the way. Glancing to the fuel gauge, Edmonds called out: "I have about a quartah tank of petrow left. We are goin' to have to stop soon."

"There is a Shaun station up the road," Misa pointed out. "Two blocks. As long as the power grid stays on, we should be okay."

"Everyone think positive," Sharpe chimed in. "Think 'It's a mother beautiful power grid and it's going to stay on'."

"Oddball, you're a nut," Alex laughed.

"I don't need any of your negative waves," Sharpe riposted wittily. "So, have a little faith, baby. Have a little faith."

The van pulled into the station. The group gave the lot a full 360 go over before Davis and Sharpe jumped out and ran to the cashier stand. Knocking loudly on the glass, the two men waited for any response. Nothing. Cautiously, they moved in. The bright fluorescent lighting gave a comforting glow as Davis moved round to the pump switches. Edmonds held his hand to signal which pump they would need. Davis switched on the fuel. Sharpe moved down an aisle and promptly stuffed his uniform pockets and an empty pouch with all the hygiene products he could fit.

"Sharpe!" Davis called out.

Sharpe glanced over and gave a sheepish look. "We need this stuff, Corporal."

"I know," Davis reassured his man. "I was going to say, grab us a bunch of Twinkies, too, will ya."

Davis grabbed a plastic sack and quickly followed suit. Finished with their pillage, they then ran out.

Davis threw the sack into an open window while Sharpe stood guard. Edmonds kept a look out in the other direction while Davis topped the tank off and jumped back inside. Sharpe pulled the door closed as the van rolled off.

By mid morning, the van pulled into the marina. Edmonds parked the van in such a way as to block access to the quay. As expected, it was empty except for a lone fishing trawler. The party gathered up their belongings and moved down the walkway. By the look of the trawler, it was easy to see why the vessel had been over looked. The paint was peeling in places and it looked as though its better days were long past. Improbably enough, the vessel had been christened "The Heart of Gold". Alex suppressed a snicker as did the three Marines.

Davis drew his side arm, handed his rifle to Sharpe and boarded the trawler.

Tense seconds passed.

Gunfire, then a cry of pain.

More tense moments as nothing more was heard. Fearing They were on board and had no doubt finished Davis, the remaining party prepared to return to the van.

At that moment, Davis' head popped out of the rear hatch. He sported the beginnings of a nasty shiner.

"Oi! I'm not dead yet," he called out. "I ran into the captain and he got the drop on me."

Gasping in relief, everyone returned to the boat. Loading everything aboard, Davis made one more pronouncement.

"The captain says he has no petrol."

"We can siphon out of the van," Angie suggested.

The captain himself appeared on deck and handed Davis a siphon pump and a gas can.

"This is how I keep my fuel costs down," he admitted sheepishly.

Davis shrugged his shoulders. He took Edmonds with him while Sharpe remained behind to "help" the captain and keep him off the girls.

The two Marines filled the can and ran it back to the boat. Repeating the procedure until the van was empty, the captain fired up his engine while the Marines cast off all lines. The trawler put to sea just as a small group of Them forced past the van and descended to the quay.

**A/N: the back and forth between Alex and Private Sharpe was taken from an old Clint Eastwood movie called "Kelly's Heroes". There is also a bookend joke, but you need to have read the first "Simple Kind of DEAD" to understand. I slipped in a Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy reference, but you need to be an old skool nerd like me to spot it.**

Translator's note:  
>gomen na: Kansai-ben for I am sorry. cf Gomen nasai<br>Nani iu ten nen: what _are_ you saying/what the hell are you saying (used as a term of exasperation)  
>Yame toki: give it up. Used when a friend is about to make a very bad decision, as Alex is here.<br>Joudan deshita: that was a joke  
>Joudan yanai de: it is not a joke!<br>Uso Yan! Honmani: You gotta be kidding! Seriously!  
>Ahoka omae: Are you stupidAre you an idiot. Here used somewhat tenderly by Misa.  
>Nande ya nen: what the hell?what did you say?


	10. United

The Maidens, United

"Shit!" Davis yelled from the wheel house.

The engine sputtered and died.

"We're out of gas," the trawler captain called out.

"Bollocks," Edmonds muttered. "Adrift at sea wif no petrow and no way to singnow 'elp"

He and Angie stood at the stern and watched Shikoku Jima sink slowly into the horizon. At that moment, the sharp-eyed Husky called out a contact directly astern.

"Where away," the captain replied.

"Low in the water, directly behind us," Angie called back. As his eyes adjusted to the spot Angie pointed out, Edmonds also made out the low shape in the water as it moved toward the trawler.

"Wot'cher think?" he asked Angie. "They could be unfriendly, pirates, even."

"Or a dead ship," Angie replied reluctantly.

"Wait and see," Davis called down from the wheel house.

Tense minutes passed as the unidentified vessel approached the trawler. Slowly, it resolved itself into the oddest ship Angie ever admitted having seen. Edmonds whooped for joy.

"Cor Blimey!" he shouted. "It's the Inscru'abow. Thank the Lord, we are saved!"

The trawler captain fired off a signal flare. A few seconds later, an answer flare launched from the submarine.

* * *

><p>Alex was carefully taken aboard the Inscrutable with an anxious Misa close behind. The rest of the group spent the cruise in exhausted relief as the trawler was taken in tow and the makeshift fleet sailed on toward Ikeijima.<p>

* * *

><p>Asuka and Shaun met Alex and Misa aboard the Ark Royal after the latest transfer. Alex was placed into the care of the ship's surgeon. Captain McElroy joined them shortly afterwards.<p>

"Tell me the truth," Alex said point blank. "Am I going to lose my leg?"

Looking her leg over, the surgeon smiled.

"You are a very lucky young lady," he said comfortingly. "I can safely say you are going to keep it a long while."

Sighing in unison, Alex and Misa thanked the surgeon for all his efforts.

"I had to scrape out some dead tissue, but you are going to be just fine." The surgeon continued. "You will need some physical therapy, but all in all, you won't be inconvenienced in the least."

McElroy and the surgeon then left the proxy family in peace.

Asuka broke into tears and gathered the girls into her arms.

"When you didn't come home last night, we feared the absolute worst," she sobbed. "I couldn't sleep at all."

She then took Misa's face into her hands.

"Misa-chan. You swear to me on everything you hold sacred and dear," she begged. "Never ever, **ever** do anything so foolish again."

Tears welled in Misa's eyes as she made her vow. "Hai, Onee-chan!"

"Alex-chan," Asuka rounded on Alex, taking her hands into her own. "If you or this girl ever concoct another scheme like the last one, I will break your legs. The both of you."

"Hai, Onee-chan!" Alex parroted Misa.

"Good!" Asuka smiled and wiped the tears from her eyes. "Now that I have both my girls safe at home, Shaun and I have news we would like to share."

She flashed her left hand and squealed with joy. A ring of hammered brass encircled Asuka's left ring finger as she wiggled it slightly.

"Captain McElroy offered to perform the ceremony," Shaun informed the girls. "We would be honored to have you join us."

Alex and Misa shared in the enjoyment as congratulations were spread around.

That night, the whole neighborhood was unwilling witness to Asuka's wedded bliss. Alex and Misa elected to stay aboard the Ark Royal to give the newlyweds their privacy.

"Thank you," Misa said, as she curled into a chair beside Alex's bunk.

"For what?" Alex asked.

"Everything," Misa replied. "For being there, for protecting me and getting us home."

"You should thank Corporal Davis," Alex sighed. "I was ready to give up this morning, remember?"

"That was just stupid talk," Misa hand-waved. "I didn't believe it for a moment."

Alex smirked to herself.

"I meant, thank you for protecting me this whole time," Misa clarified. "If you hadn't been at school right then and there that afternoon, "I would most likely…be-"

Alex cut Misa off by pulling her into an embrace and claiming her lips. Misa offered no resistance as she gave herself body and soul to the girl who had stood watch and guarded over her.

'The people can sleep easy in their beds knowing that rough men stand ready to do violent acts on their behalf.'


End file.
